Calling Sydney’s eastern beaches their home, I have to say Mesmeriser come from a part of town I don’t trot over to very often. The inner west vortex is far too easy to get sucked into; it’s a mess of DIY shows, garage-borne rock ‘n’ roll and most importantly, a few good watering holes.
You’d think I was trapped! And maybe I am, but I have to say that after hearing this new EP from the aforementioned Mesmeriser, the sunny, spaced-out roadways of the east are calling.
It’s called These Few Hours, it’s much less than a few hours long, and you should listen to it.
Brimming with addictive melodies, alluring lyricism and an aching blues drive, These Few Hours from Mesmeriser is disgustingly proficient for a debut EP.
Straight from the get-go on Bleed Me Dry, I’m into it. This is what happens when a bassline and kick drum love each other very much, people. The vox and lead guitar compound this foundation, every new lick or melody brining in something magnetic.
The drum work throughout the whole EP is damn impressive, really. Apparently we have Oscar Sharah to thank for this goodness, also the resident producer for Mesmeriser. It explains the rhythm section’s tight relationship with the rest of the mix; the way this band moves around percussion is a joy to hear.
Hit the first minute of XXX and you’ll hear it too.
One Sided Love has Tame Impala written all over the guitar work, not to mention the longingly romantic lyrics. It’s not the copycat psych rock which has unfortunately become associated with that name either, the noodling throughout the song’s champion third quarter well and truly distinguishes it as something unique.
At five minutes, Liquid Lust is the lengthiest cut on the EP, proving that Mesmeriser are one of the few new alt-rock bands in the country who can resist an extended jam piece. A fairly simple two-part set closer, its strength lies in the surprisingly emotional facemelter of a breakdown tacked onto the end, rather than the intro ballad.
The quality found within These Few Hours lends me a suspicion that somebody in Mesmeriser has a sneaky bit of music experience elsewhere. They have been jamming since 2013, so it’s a small betrayal to call them new despite this being their first EP together… my point is, they seriously know their shit.
Mesmeriser is a obviously band pooling together tremendous knowledge and influence, it’s how their EP covers so much sonic territory yet remains so proficient.
When that sound hones down to something truly their very own, they’ll be a force to be reckoned with.
Mesmeriser will be launching These Few Hours at Brighton Up Bar, Sydney on September 30. Joining them will be Balko and Cosmic Flanders, two killer acts in their own right.
